Tuesday, 10 October 2017

I haven't posted a lot about the Vegas Golden Knights on HBIC, but I have to say that the franchise is really embracing their role when it comes to civic pride. Everything the franchise did tonight with regards to their tribute to the people who lost lives in the Las Vegas shooting tragedy was perfect. There's not a lot that they could have done better, and, quite frankly, their efforts in honouring those who lost lives and the people who did their best in trying to save lives was one of the best moments in sports-being-bigger-than-sports that I've ever seen.

The players lined up at the blueline behind the real heroes in Las Vegas as citizens - nurses, doctors, first responders, firemen and firewomen, and police officers - stood in front of them. Each player was escorted out by one of these men and women who held a city together when it was gripped by terror and fear. These are the heroes, and the Golden Knights honoured them as such.

Following this introduction came 58 seconds of silence in honour of the 58 people lost in the tragedy. Their names also appeared on the ice. And what impressed me the most is that not one person made a sound during the 58 seconds of silence. Not a peep. The level of respect shown by the more-than-18000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena was awe-inspiring. Well done, Vegas!

T-Mobile Arena, for those that noticed, had removed all advertisements off the boards and replaced them with "Vegas Strong" messages as tonight's game was all about healing and finding good things to celebrate. That's when the Golden Knights took over.

The fact that the Golden Knights came out and rocked the socks off the Arizona Coyotes in their home opener only made things better. Tomas Nosek, Vegas resident Deryk Engelland, James "The Real Deal" Neal, Neal again, and Oscar Lindberg paced the Vegas Golden Knights to a 5-2 victory and a little history as they became the first NHL expansion team to start 3-0-0 after dispatching the Arizona Coyotes. Marc-Andre Fleury was outstanding in his third straight game as he made 31 saves for the victory.

Ladies and gentlemen, your Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights showed the hockey world that despite their young age, they know how to do things right when it comes to honouring the citizens in their city. If anyone wants a lesson on how to do a tribute right, get in contact with the Vegas Golden Knights!

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